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World Bank’s Water Partnership Program Releases Summary of Phase I

August 2013: The World Bank's Water Partnership Program (WPP), a multi-donor initiative launched in January 2009, has released a report titled 'Sharing Smart Solutions in Water,' which compiles the key outcomes of the WPP Phase I (2009–2012).

The report includes the results of projects carried out in 64 countries, highlighting that WPP support to lending for water supply and sanitation is benefiting the lives of nearly 52 million people in 26 countries, with over 17 million of these beneficiaries being located in Africa.

The WPP aims to assist the World Bank in implementing innovative strategies and cross-sectoral analytical support to ensure that countries are improving long-term water security for all uses in a context in which climate change is a pressing challenge. Active in 62 countries, with 27 regional and 25 global initiatives, activities amounted to $19.6 million, the majority focusing on the improvement of water resources institutions and water resources management.

The report presents the results per region, namely: Africa; Asia and the Pacific; Europe and Central Asia; Latin America and Caribbean; Middle East and North Africa and South Asia. Among key contributions of the WPP in Africa, it cites improvements of data and analysis needed to promote the use of multi-purpose infrastructure to control floods, and provide food and energy to more people. In East Asia and the Pacific, countries were assisted in the integration of adaptation into projects to mitigate disaster risks from floods and droughts. In Europe and Central Asia, the WPP helped with the definition of sub-regional strategies for irrigation investments improving the region's capacity to become a key global supplier of grain, fiber, vegetables and fruits.